Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Some current wagering games fail to provide both a competitive aspect and a group-play aspect. For example, one problem associated with some current wagering games is that a player on a gaming machine is not encouraged to play toward a common goal with another player on a different gaming machine, wherein only one of the players is awarded a special award in response to achieving the common goal. Thus, some current wagering games provide each player with a goal that is specific only to the player.
In one type of current wagering game the player attempts to fulfill a plurality of gaming conditions. Upon fulfilling all of the gaming conditions, the player receives an award. If the player cannot fulfill all of the gaming conditions, the player may receive no award or a much smaller award. The players of this type of game are likely to become frustrated after fulfilling only some of the gaining conditions and, consequently, quit playing the game. Thus, the player's dissatisfaction with the game is likely to decrease profits of the game provider, e.g., a casino establishment.
Thus, a need exists for a gaming machine having a group aspect that, nevertheless, awards individual effort. The present invention is directed to satisfying one ore more of these needs and solving other problems.